High-Octane Dance: Ballet Meets NASCAR

By Melissa Block

Published April 9, 2004 at 12:00 AM EDT

NPR's Melissa Block speaks with Jenefer Mansfield, executive/artistic director of the Roanoke Ballet Theatre, about a production of a NASCAR ballet. On the surface, it may not appear that NASCAR auto racing and ballet have a lot in common -- but Mansfield says both activities involve movement and accomplish the seemingly impossible.

Melissa Block

As special correspondent and guest host of NPR's news programs, Melissa Block brings her signature combination of warmth and incisive reporting. Her work over the decades has earned her journalism's highest honors, and has made her one of NPR's most familiar and beloved voices.

See stories by Melissa Block

Orcas are hunting whale sharks, the largest fish species on Earth

Lauren Sommer

A new study reveals how a group of killer whales is able to hunt whale sharks, adding to a growing body of research showing how the whales use intelligence and coordination in impressive ways.
Advocates renew a push for states to enact voting protections

Hansi Lo Wang

With efforts to bolster the federal Voting Rights Act unlikely under Republican control of the new Congress, advocates are refocusing on state protections against racial discrimination in elections.
How crocodiles get their scale patterns (Hint: It's unlike other animals)

Jonathan Lambert

Many animals get their external marking--like, feathers, hair or scales-from genetics. But it turns out, the crocodile gets its head patterns differently.